Grand Central goes the extra mile for employee wellbeing

Grand Central has announced its 2018-2019 health and wellbeing plan, to include a special focus on its employees’ mental health. “It’s obvious to us that a culture where mental health issues are openly discussed is a culture that promotes and achieves organisational success, says Sean English, Grand Central’s chief operating officer.

The company already runs a range of initiatives around health and wellbeing, including work with CIRAS in developing mental health training, due to be rolled out in 2019, participation in the Time To Change programme and factsheets about dealing with pressure.

During Mental Health Awareness Week (14 May 2018), all Grand Central staff will have scheduled time with HR to talk about any issues bothering them or discuss ways in which they feel they could be better supported. Staff will also be signposted to organisations offering further support and offered ways to stay healthy and focus on positive mental health. They are also being encouraged to get involved with the national This Is Me campaign, producing a This Is Me, We Are GC video.

“We want healthy, productive, engaged and capable employees,” says English, “and we are committed to supporting our colleagues to proactively develop healthy choices, both mentally and physically. This includes upskilling of line managers to support individuals who need help.”

Notes to Editors

Grand Central Railway Company Limited is an established train operator that provides direct rail connections from towns and cities in Yorkshire and the North East England with London.

Established in 2007, Grand Central celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2017. Customer satisfaction levels are consistently high and the rail company has just been named Britain’s best value rail operator for the fifth year in a row.

Grand Central is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe. Arriva employs more than 60,000 people and delivers more than 2 billion passenger journeys across 14 European countries each year.